Finally, an integrated (sorta) PRS505 reading light! - Page 7

dynamike · 08-17-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by June

I'm not sure I understand what you mean with the tape, do you want me to test with tape on the longer outer edge, opposite of the battery/spine?

Or are you thinking about the flat "top and bottom" i.e. the flat bit you read through? On which edge? The tape is folded onto the surfaces of the side (top and bottom) of the ligthwedge, as you can see on teh first photo. The paint is only on the very edge of the lightwedge.

Sorry, I find it hard to describe. What I mean is to black out everything, except the two square glass surfaces one has to look through to see the e-ink display. If you put the wedge on a page and switch it on, you can see this typical bright rectangle which surrounds the reading area. I wonder what effect it has, when this narrow frame is blacked out as well. My hope is that this could improve the perceived contrast of the text and maybe also improves the brightness uniformity of the illuminated surface.

Quote:

Originally Posted by June

I'm thinking of painting a small 1mm or so line along the "top and bottom" and not just the very edge to see if there's a difference. I'll do that tomorrow for the other edge.

I believe this is exactly what I meant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by June

I used a small soft 'artists' paint brush for the paint, the kind they sell right next to those plastic model paint tins (tiny metal tins, maybe 2cm high or so).

I feared you would expose my own clumsiness by writing something like that.

nekokami · 08-17-2008, 09:27 PM

A permanent pigment-based marker might be opaque enough, and might be easier to handle than paint or tape. Just a suggestion-- I won't be able to try it until they come out with a model that fits the iLiad.

June · 08-18-2008, 03:33 AM

I was going to try a marker first, but all I had at home iare the alcohol/sovent based ones, so not sure that would be a good long term option. I figured the paints that are specifically made for plastic models are safe for teh plastic.... And with masking tape on each side, the painting wasn't messy at all - the paint is not terribly runny - I guess it's desgined that way for the plastic models where one needs some quite detailed work occasionally... or I just have an old tin that has gotten thicker by age...

Anyhow, tonight I'll paint the other two edges with a small 'lip' onto the flat surface of the lightwedge and do a second coat on the one edge I already painted (just the edge). I'll post pictures when it's done so y'all can compare.

nekokami · 08-18-2008, 09:46 AM

A word of caution regarding plastic model paints. They don't work equally well on all plastic. Models are usually made of polystyrene, I think, and the paints are designed to work well with that, but I tried them once on vinyl and made a real mess. The paints never dried, and couldn't be removed, either.

DrMoze · 08-18-2008, 01:50 PM

The big 'permanent' black Sharpie I tried didn't work well. It was not opaque, and applying further coats did not 'stick.' Plus, I was able to rub off the small section I colored fairly easily.

Looks like paint is the way to go. Waiting to see the results posted here!

dynamike · 08-19-2008, 03:17 AM

After a couple of days the ceramic paint is still a bit sticky. I guess it is mandatory to burn the paint in. Since that it would be unwise to put the lightwedge into the oven at 170°C I have to start over with a different sort of paint.

The lady at the arts and crafts recommended acrylic paint. I am unsure about this though. If anything goes awry, which is not that unlikely considering my poor painting talents, I would need chemical thinner to remove the paint. But that would most probably destroy the plexiglass as well.

June · 08-19-2008, 04:23 AM

I did the rest of teh painting last night, and am quite happy with the result.

Drying: the paint I used (Humbrol Enamel) on a regular LightWedge dried just fine. The paint is slow drying, but the first paint had dired just fine after 24 hours, and took a second coat nicely enough. Naturally I had to use masking tape to paint the edges, but with masking tape and peeling the tape off after a while, the painting is easy and doesn't really matter if one makes a mess

I'll post pictures in a while - my modemrouter was broken last night in a thunderstorm, so I'm on a sloooowww dialup connection getting my daily internet fix...

dynamike · 08-19-2008, 05:29 AM

Great to hear that the paint job went well.

Apart from the reduced light leakage, did you notice any changes with the brightness uniformity?

Sorry about the broken internet connection. I hope will be up to speed again soon.

nekokami · 08-19-2008, 10:08 AM

dynamike, you might try a hairdryer to dry your paint. Regarding acrylic paint, you wouldn't need any special thinners to remove it, just scrub at it with water. (In fact, it would probably tend to peel off on its own.) Oils are the ones that require turpentine.

dynamike · 08-19-2008, 11:06 AM

Thanks, nekokami, that info is much appreciated. I assumed for some reason that acrylic paint was not water soluble. That was why I avoided it in the shop. You never cease to learn. I will try the hairdryer first, though. I'm sure there must be one hiding somewhere in this household...

Studio717 · 08-19-2008, 03:31 PM

dynamike, nekokami beat me to it, so I'll just add that acrylic paints are water soluble while wet. Once they dry, they are harder to remove (though none, as far as I know, require anything like turpentine). If it's not going to work, you can probably just scrape it off with a fingernail.

Good luck. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't mind the frame of light at all.

June · 08-19-2008, 03:34 PM

Okay,pictures of the light wedge with three sides painted, the long side and one of the short sides has a lip of paint mybe 1mm onto the flat surface (the color on the edge is a shallow U shape looking at a cross section)

The color si sticking very well so far, tried rubbing it and it doesn't rub off. I cn scratch some off if i use a metal spoon, but all in alll I think it'll stay put nicely.

I *think* the light might be a little more uniform, but it might just be my imagintion. Besides the light wdge I have has quite uneven light fanning out from the two lmps, so it's hard to tell if there is a difference... I wish I'd remembered to take before and after pictures with a book in same circumstances.

dynamike · 08-19-2008, 04:17 PM

June, thanks for posting those pictures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by June

Okay,pictures of the light wedge with three sides painted, the long side and one of the short sides has a lip of paint mybe 1mm onto the flat surface (the color on the edge is a shallow U shape looking at a cross section)

I will attempt exactly the same thing with the Sony lightwedge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by June

I *think* the light might be a little more uniform, but it might just be my imagintion. Besides the light wdge I have has quite uneven light fanning out from the two lmps, so it's hard to tell if there is a difference... I wish I'd remembered to take before and after pictures with a book in same circumstances.

Looking at the pictures I tend to agree. As you described, the "masking" you did appears not to have a significant effect on how the light is distributed over the reading surface. Since your wedge has only 2 but apparently very bright LEDs the light cones are more prnounced compared to the Sony PRSA-CL1 with its 4 LEDs. The problem the Sony wedge has (besides the light leakage) are not the light cones but these typical vertical artifacts which were described as smudges earlier in the thread. My hope is that these might get better as a welcome side-effect with the proper masking technique.

Anyway, I am glad that you seem to be happy with your modification.

dynamike · 08-19-2008, 05:18 PM

To determine the "masking effect" with the Sony PRSA-CL1, I did one further experiment. Since this time it did not involve any paint brush it was not that hard for me.

Quick recap: The current status is that I have blackened the shorter triangular edges of the wedge with ceramic paint to block some of the excessive light. The two longer edges are yet untouched. The typical smudges or shading patterns are still visible, if not increased a bit.

The current experiment involved two strips of plastic duct tape. One strip is white. I glued that one along the long edge on the left side so that the bright outline on that edge is just covered and the reading area is still fully visible. Since the white tape was not entirely opaque I glued a strip of black tape right on top of it. I now have a black tape with a white bottom that faces the e-ink display. The idea is that the white tape reflects some of the light back on to the reader and by doing that lessen the smudges.

Look at the pictures and see the effect. I found it quite interesting. The first picture (DSC_0865_800.jpg) is without the tape. The second picture (DSC_0863_800.jpg) is with tape applied.

Sorry for the size and brightness differences in the pictures. I just moved and misplaced my tripod.

But the effect comes out pretty realistically.

nekokami · 08-19-2008, 05:55 PM

I think the black duct tape I've seen has a white sticky side. Wouldn't that work as well as two layers?

08-19-2008, 03:34 PM	#102
June Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 4508151 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scandinavia Device: Kobo Libra, Oasis 1&2 and others	Okay,pictures of the light wedge with three sides painted, the long side and one of the short sides has a lip of paint mybe 1mm onto the flat surface (the color on the edge is a shallow U shape looking at a cross section) The color si sticking very well so far, tried rubbing it and it doesn't rub off. I cn scratch some off if i use a metal spoon, but all in alll I think it'll stay put nicely. I think the light might be a little more uniform, but it might just be my imagintion. Besides the light wdge I have has quite uneven light fanning out from the two lmps, so it's hard to tell if there is a difference... I wish I'd remembered to take before and after pictures with a book in same circumstances. Attached Thumbnails

08-19-2008, 05:18 PM	#104
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	To determine the "masking effect" with the Sony PRSA-CL1, I did one further experiment. Since this time it did not involve any paint brush it was not that hard for me. Quick recap: The current status is that I have blackened the shorter triangular edges of the wedge with ceramic paint to block some of the excessive light. The two longer edges are yet untouched. The typical smudges or shading patterns are still visible, if not increased a bit. The current experiment involved two strips of plastic duct tape. One strip is white. I glued that one along the long edge on the left side so that the bright outline on that edge is just covered and the reading area is still fully visible. Since the white tape was not entirely opaque I glued a strip of black tape right on top of it. I now have a black tape with a white bottom that faces the e-ink display. The idea is that the white tape reflects some of the light back on to the reader and by doing that lessen the smudges. Look at the pictures and see the effect. I found it quite interesting. The first picture (DSC_0865_800.jpg) is without the tape. The second picture (DSC_0863_800.jpg) is with tape applied. Sorry for the size and brightness differences in the pictures. I just moved and misplaced my tripod. But the effect comes out pretty realistically. Attached Thumbnails

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
PRS-505 Finally unbrick my prs505! - a new method	hamimelon	Sony Reader	12	07-28-2011 03:11 PM
Ended PRS505 Light Wedge Cover	toomuchreading	Flea Market	0	01-10-2010 07:12 PM
Does the PRS505 light wedge work with PRS600?	Angst	Sony Reader	3	09-01-2009 05:39 PM
Sony PRS505 light wedge Question	darktower	Sony Reader	4	01-05-2009 06:38 PM
Hello, I got prs505 finally	curtis.kwong	Introduce Yourself	4	05-19-2008 04:12 AM

08-17-2008, 09:27 PM	#92
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	A permanent pigment-based marker might be opaque enough, and might be easier to handle than paint or tape. Just a suggestion-- I won't be able to try it until they come out with a model that fits the iLiad.

08-18-2008, 03:33 AM	#93
June Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 4508151 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scandinavia Device: Kobo Libra, Oasis 1&2 and others	I was going to try a marker first, but all I had at home iare the alcohol/sovent based ones, so not sure that would be a good long term option. I figured the paints that are specifically made for plastic models are safe for teh plastic.... And with masking tape on each side, the painting wasn't messy at all - the paint is not terribly runny - I guess it's desgined that way for the plastic models where one needs some quite detailed work occasionally... or I just have an old tin that has gotten thicker by age... Anyhow, tonight I'll paint the other two edges with a small 'lip' onto the flat surface of the lightwedge and do a second coat on the one edge I already painted (just the edge). I'll post pictures when it's done so y'all can compare.

08-18-2008, 09:46 AM	#94
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	A word of caution regarding plastic model paints. They don't work equally well on all plastic. Models are usually made of polystyrene, I think, and the paints are designed to work well with that, but I tried them once on vinyl and made a real mess. The paints never dried, and couldn't be removed, either.

08-18-2008, 01:50 PM	#95
DrMoze Booknut Posts: 858 Karma: 2852 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida! Device: Sony Reader 500/505/300/350, Nook Glowlight Plus (6")	The big 'permanent' black Sharpie I tried didn't work well. It was not opaque, and applying further coats did not 'stick.' Plus, I was able to rub off the small section I colored fairly easily. Looks like paint is the way to go. Waiting to see the results posted here!

08-19-2008, 03:17 AM	#96
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	After a couple of days the ceramic paint is still a bit sticky. I guess it is mandatory to burn the paint in. Since that it would be unwise to put the lightwedge into the oven at 170°C I have to start over with a different sort of paint. The lady at the arts and crafts recommended acrylic paint. I am unsure about this though. If anything goes awry, which is not that unlikely considering my poor painting talents, I would need chemical thinner to remove the paint. But that would most probably destroy the plexiglass as well.

08-19-2008, 04:23 AM	#97
June Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 4508151 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Scandinavia Device: Kobo Libra, Oasis 1&2 and others	I did the rest of teh painting last night, and am quite happy with the result. Drying: the paint I used (Humbrol Enamel) on a regular LightWedge dried just fine. The paint is slow drying, but the first paint had dired just fine after 24 hours, and took a second coat nicely enough. Naturally I had to use masking tape to paint the edges, but with masking tape and peeling the tape off after a while, the painting is easy and doesn't really matter if one makes a mess I'll post pictures in a while - my modemrouter was broken last night in a thunderstorm, so I'm on a sloooowww dialup connection getting my daily internet fix...

08-19-2008, 05:29 AM	#98
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	Great to hear that the paint job went well. Apart from the reduced light leakage, did you notice any changes with the brightness uniformity? Sorry about the broken internet connection. I hope will be up to speed again soon.

08-19-2008, 10:08 AM	#99
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	dynamike, you might try a hairdryer to dry your paint. Regarding acrylic paint, you wouldn't need any special thinners to remove it, just scrub at it with water. (In fact, it would probably tend to peel off on its own.) Oils are the ones that require turpentine.

08-19-2008, 11:06 AM	#100
dynamike Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: DR800SG, PRS-505	Thanks, nekokami, that info is much appreciated. I assumed for some reason that acrylic paint was not water soluble. That was why I avoided it in the shop. You never cease to learn. I will try the hairdryer first, though. I'm sure there must be one hiding somewhere in this household...

08-19-2008, 03:31 PM	#101
Studio717 Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 575 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: California Device: Various Kindles, iPhone, iPad, Galaxy 10.1	dynamike, nekokami beat me to it, so I'll just add that acrylic paints are water soluble while wet. Once they dry, they are harder to remove (though none, as far as I know, require anything like turpentine). If it's not going to work, you can probably just scrape it off with a fingernail. Good luck. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't mind the frame of light at all.

Advert

Advert

08-19-2008, 05:55 PM	#105
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I think the black duct tape I've seen has a white sticky side. Wouldn't that work as well as two layers?